Identification of Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca

Length approx 13 cm. Differs from Whitethroat (Sylvia communis) by dark legs and lacks the rusty brown-red fringes to the wings.A close view such as above, shows lack of or only a faint eye ring,which is usually below the eye (clearly visible on the bird above). Dark grey crown and nape blends into a general grey-brown upper and wings.A lot of field guides point to a darker area to the birds ear coverts, but this is often not evident as in this bird above.Usually more secretive than Whitethroat spending much of the time in bushes and undergrowth.Song reminiscent of a wooden rattle often preceeded by a typical sylvia warbler chattering noise.Podcasts of The Warblers of Britain and Europe are available free (see home page).

Current status for Lesser Whitethroat (Britain & Ireland)

Lesser Whitethroat abundance tended to be stable (albeit with short-term fluctuations) from the 1960s until the late 1980s, but there has since been moderate decline in the CBC/BBS trends, and CES data indicate that decline has been rapid. These changes were significant and large enough over the relevant periods to trigger BTO Alerts. Their possible causes warrant investigation. A reduction in productivity, evident from CES plots during the last ten years, suggests that the cause may be linked to productivity rather than to survival.